Two People Have Died of Measles in Pennsylvania

—Peter Dazeley—Getty Images Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles , marking the first reported deaths from the disease in the U.S. this year.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said on Tuesday, Aug.

25, that the two people who died were unvaccinated and lived in Lancaster County, the epicenter of a statewide measles outbreak that has sickened hundreds.

No additional information has been released about the two people who died.

State health officials said the deaths are the first measles-associated fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years.

“Because measles was largely eliminated in the [state] for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” said Dr.

Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania’s health secretary, in a statement.

More than 2,700 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. this year—the highest number of cases since the disease was considered eliminated in the country in 2000.

In just the past two years, the U.S. has recorded more measles cases than it did from 2000 through 2024 combined.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause high fever, a tell-tale rash, cough, and other symptoms.

The disease can be mild for some, but about one in four people sickened with measles is hospitalized.

Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly are among those who are at risk of more severe disease.

No specific treatment for measles exists.

The measles vaccine—delivered as a combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot series—is 97% effective at preventing the disease and lowers the risk of complications if someone is infected.